Letters to the editor

Much like Ambre Scott in her recent letter, I was introduced to guns as a child. My father was an Army veteran (Bronze Star), he taught my brother how to handle a gun. My brother had a .22 caliber rifle and later a shot gun; he taught me how to shoot. He also taught me to respect all firearms; they are deadly. There were rules I had to learn and responsibilities any time a gun was in my hands, or even if I was with someone carrying a gun. I’ve owned a registered handgun for 40 years and more recently inherited a shotgun.

Although I’m not a gun enthusiast, I don’t object to a person owning a gun, providing they know and follow the rules, and fully understand the responsibilities. What I object to is not having national commonsense gun laws. It is essential to safety and life to have laws regarding who does not have access to guns. A person must have a driver’s license to operate a car, must pass a test to receive one, and must have a registration to own a car. It is illegal to fish or hunt without a license. A person must register to vote — how deadly is that for goodness’ sake?

Most of us are not asking for a ban on firearms; we don’t want to take guns away from those who have them. Automatic and semi-automatic “assault” rifles, however, are weapons of war. They are manufactured to kill human beings. No ordinary citizen has any reason to have one; they are meant for our National Guard or the Armed Services.

For whatever type of firearm that someone possesses there should be national laws regarding age limits, training, proficiency testing, licensing for use, and background checks. If those are needed to own or operate a car, it is certainly reasonable for owning or operating a gun.

Dodie Day

Jackson

Banning assault weapons part of solution

We agree with the opinions expressed in the Bobby Cogdell (“School shootings — who’s to blame?”) and Samuel Teague (“Anger leads to shootings”) letters on Wednesday. However, we feel that banning assault weapons should be a part of the solution. We cannot see that anyone, other than law enforcement, should have one of these weapons.

Tom and Julia Humphreys

Humboldt

Enemy of my enemy?

Russia is at war with the United States and has been for some time. A while ago we were trying to fight back. But since the new administration entered the White House, that effort has stopped. The American people have a right to know why. Especially since members of that administration have now come forward to admit that this war is not only continuing but growing. We, as a country, have turned on our backs while the Russian army literally walks over us, laughing, and people like our own Secretary of State say there is nothing we can do about it.

Indeed, it has been, all along, the Russian army, through their main intelligence directorate (GRU) hacking into our computer systems, creating the “bots” infecting our social media, and employing the dozens of foreign and American agents who directly interfere with our electoral processes.

GRU leaders report directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. All of this information is in the hands of the current, Trump administration-led intelligence officials who recently reported to the Senate. And it is Putin who can call the White House whenever he chooses to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line.

A voice friendly enough to ignore not only U.S. policy but current U.S. law that requires this administration to stop other nations from buying arms from Russia or Russian manufacturers. So, those sales continue. To ignore U.S. law that requires this administration to apply new sanctions against Russia, Russians and Russian interests for not withdrawing from illegally occupied foreign territories. No new sanctions. Ignoring U.S. law that requires this administration to release intelligence data on the corrupt oligarchical conspiracy that props up the Putin regime. Producing a phony list instead, photocopied from a magazine. Whose side are they on?